Syria Cracks Down on Rebels Near Turkish Border

Violence has stepped up a notch or two in Syria as the government continues to crackdown harshly on anti-government protestors across the country. One hundred people or more have already died just this past week in the Syrian regime’s attempts to suppress rebels in the face of growing concern and criticism within the international community.

Armored Vehicles and Troops Near Turkey

The latest battle took place last Wednesday along the Syrian border with Turkey, the latest region targeted for punishment by the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. According to witnesses and activists heavily armed troops along with armored cars drove through the town of Jabal al-Zawiya in the north-western province of Idlib, cracking down on protestors and disrupting communications to and from the area.

Over 100 Killed Last Week Alone

Recep Tayyip Erdogan

Mr. Rahman said that at least 100 people were killed at the hands of the Syrian security forces, with a total of 22 just last Monday. In a recently revised update provided by the UN of the estimate of the number of people killed in Syria since the protest movement began in March 2011, the number has already reached 2,600.

“In all Syria they are arresting the first and second line of activity people, that’s why you don’t see big demonstrations, they’re all in jail or killed or hiding,” said Mr Abdul Rahman.
The Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, expressed the fear that most leaders in the region share, that the situation in Syria will lead to a civil war between the two Muslim sects; the Sunnis, which the majority of Syrians are members of, and the Alawites, the sect of the ruling class.

West Condemning Syrian Brutality

Western outrage over the violence in Syria was dismissed as irrelevant by Syrian presidential advisor Bouthaina Shabaan. He believes the west’s attitude is part of a clever plot to undermine Syrian stability. Shabaan told the state run news agency that,

“We don’t believe the west and other forces in the region when they talk about democracy and human rights.”